A Part of Me Is With You
by justfallinloveagain
Summary: Will you marry me?


"Ladies and gents, welcome to Stark Expo," Tony said over the delighted screams and whoops of the crowd. Music started to blast from the speakers and he smirked, starting to dance and doling out air-kisses to random girls and guys in the front. The crowd loved it and began to dance along, bellowing lyrics to songs they knew and all-together having a great time.

Meanwhile, Steve stood towards the back of the crowd, watching amusedly as his boyfriend performed a move which could only be described as obscene. He had grown used to Tony's behavior, and had come to love every part of his character. While it had taken a couple of weeks of hatred, another month of grudging respect, half a year of friendship, and year of love, they had come to fit together in a way that neither of them had even thought possible.

After a couple of songs, Tony looked out at the crowd, happy to see so many people dancing freely. He adjusted his jacket, feeling rather than hearing the shaking in his pocket. Squaring his shoulders, he then scanned the crowd for his boyfriend.

Finding him in the back, Tony looked at him with a look that Steve couldn't quite read, an odd mixture of nerves and endearment. That look was suddenly replaced by one of mischief that Steve definitely _could _read after seeing it numerous times before. Tony stared at him and crooked a finger, motioning to join him on the stage. Steve shook his head, so Tony motioned at him again, more insistent this time. Steve just stayed still, causing Tony to leer at him and grab the mike.

"Anybody in the back row that is standing next to that big, blond hunk of muscle known as Captain America, please bring him forward to me," Tony said, "I have a question to ask him." At that, everyone around Steve started to smirk as they pushed him towards the stage. The "hunk of muscle" as Tony called it, made it impossible for them to move him an inch, but seeing that the odd nervous face had returned, Steve allowed the crowd to move him all the way to the front.

Seeing the body guards move aside to let him on to the stairs which led to Tony, he hopped up the steps and stood before the shorter man.

"Hi," Steve breathed out, smiling and for once, wishing that the mischievous Tony would come back. This nervous Tony was scaring him.

"Hey," Tony replied, before looking down at his jacket and grabbing something from the right hand inner pocket. He slowly sunk down on one knee.

The previously giggling and wolf-whistling crowd fell immediately to a silence. Whispers broke out in far corners of the room before they were once again silenced by other people in the crowd.

Steve paid no attention to the crowd, however. His eyes were only for the man in front of him, realizing now why Tony had that expression on his face.

"Steve, I told you I had a question for you, and I'll ask that in a minute, but before that I wanted to say a couple of things," Tony spoke evenly but looked at him with wide eyes, showing him just how much anxiety he was trying to hide. "A year ago, when we became a couple, practically everyone told me that I should just quit before someone got hurt. And you know what? I actually tried to do what they said for once because if there's anybody that I least want to get hurt, it would be you. But then you didn't let me, and one date became two became ten became a year's worth of dates. This year has possibly been the best of my life. Actually, no. There's no possibly about it. This has been the best year of my life, and I don't know what I would do without you.

"I think I'd actually be dead without you. In fact, every single person in this room would be dead without you because we're goddamn superheroes, that's why. You've saved all of our lives, with me by your side, and for once I feel like I haven't fucked up my life. But you've done more than save my life, you've saved my heart. Not many people even know I have one. Pepper made me keepsake, you know. She put my reactor in a glass box that said "proof that Tony Stark has a heart". Did I tell you that? I think I told you that. But anyway, you've saved my heart because it was broken before I had you. It was an alcoholic, untrusting, broken heart, but then you came and you fixed it. You fixed it, and now it's yours. Forever, hopefully.

"And now I guess I'll ask you my question, because I think it's going to explode out of me at this point. Capsicle, Captain my Captain, best friend, love of my life… Steve Rogers, will you marry me?"

Tony's eyes bored into Steve's as he said these last words, looking hopeful and harried, and god he knew that Steve would say yes, but what if he said no? After an hour, or maybe it was shorter, yeah it was probably shorter because Steve liked to take his time, but he wasn't _malicious. _He would never purposely torture Tony like this, because this was pure torture.

Steve's brain fled him the moment Tony said those four beautiful words, and he stared at Tony with awe as the man looked at him with such honesty and love and just the smallest bit of desperation buried underneath it all. His tongue weighted a ton, and his mouth felt like rubber, and his body was traitorous against him. All he could do was smile slightly and nod slowly at first, and then faster

When Tony saw his boyfriend- no _fiancé_, oh god they were engaged now- move his head up and down, Tony forgot at first what it meant. The genius part of his brain had left him, leaving behind only the lovesick portion that he didn't let out very often because this is what happened when he did, _that little shit_. But then he remembered that the up-and-down movement, oh yeah it's called a _nod_ isn't it, meant yes and then he couldn't begin to move fast enough. He slid the ring on Steve's finger and stood shakily, barely straightening himself before being wrapped up in arms which were large and strong, but oh so gentle and warm and just so _Steve._

They embraced for a minute before Steve started to grin and then giggle and then outright laugh, and Tony pulled back to look at him in confusion. Steve just laughed even harder before saying, "You beat me."

Tony looked even more bewildered, so Steve reached for his own jacket pocket to pull out a box quite like the one Tony had held a bit earlier. Steve looked slightly embarrassed before sinking to his knee, just as Tony had moments ago.

"Umm, you kind of beat me to this Tony, but you've saved me too. I didn't think I could love anyone like I do now, and I never even imagined finding anybody to love me the same way. After what happened with the ice and now being in the future, I kind of… lost hope. But you helped me find it again, and you were what kept me sane most days, even at the beginning when we were fighting. You kept me grounded, you didn't take no for an answer, and you became my best friend.

"So Iron Man, my genius playboy billionaire philanthropist… Tony Stark, will you marry me?" Both Steve and Tony's eyes were overflowing with tears, and admiration, and love, oh so much love.

Tony grinned and said "Of course, Cap", and then Steve's ring was on Tony's finger, and their arms were around each other, looking as if they would never let go.

However, they had to let go because the cheers of the crowd finally got through to the couple. Wrapped up in their own world, they had forgotten that they were on stage with a thousand people watching them as they poured out their hearts to each other. As they broke apart (but didn't step away from each other because they needed the contact to _breathe_), they looked out and saw that half the people had their phones out recording or taking pictures or tweeting, and the other half had grins and tears in their eyes.

The two looked at each other, and then at their rings, more clearly this time: one gold band with a ruby in the middle, with diamonds placed strategically throughout, one smaller but plainer gold band, with a large sapphire in the middle, surrounded by a lighter blue gem on each side. The rings were like incarnations of the people who had given them; they looked back at each other with smiles, knowing that wherever they went, they would have a part of each other with them.

Without sparing another glance at the crowd, Tony waved in their general direction and then pulled the other man with him to the side of the stage. Hidden by the curtain, their lips finally smashed together and it was fumbling and desperate, but not awkward, never awkward because it was so, so _right_. They are Steve and Tony, Tony and Steve, and nothing could ever tear them apart.


End file.
